Hard Labor
by Kasey22
Summary: This is the ending for Homecoming, which you can find if you search under the fics rated "M". Since I wrote a prologue for it, I thought I might as well end with an epilogue. Their son arrives. Also works as a stand-alone.


**A/N: This is the ending for Homecoming (you can find it if you search under the fics rated "M"). Since I wrote a prologue for it, I thought I might as well end with an epilogue. Thanks for reading and reviewing all my previous work - it does make a difference!**

Epilogue – Hard Labor

Another contraction seized Juliet and she panted, gripped by the pain and fear all over again. It was too soon. The baby was early by 6 weeks. This can't be happening, she thought.

She'd been lying in bed for five minutes believing and praying that the pains which had woken her were false labor. But they were getting stronger and in the dark she took one deep, ragged breath and said, "James."

Her voice was hoarse but he woke immediately. "What's wrong?" One big hand pressed against her belly and she put her hand over his. "I think," she began, still breathing heavily. "I think it's started."

He was instantly alert, snapping on the lamp and jumping out of bed. "Are you sure? I thought 6 more weeks." He took her hand and eased her into a sitting position. "I know. It's early," she said, hoping that her voice didn't betray the fear coursing through her. "The bag is by the door. Help me get dressed."

Juliet was sleeping in just a tank top and panties, her swollen belly making anything more feel cumbersome and hot. She had a cotton sundress with no waist at the ready, though. It had been hanging in the closet for just this occasion since she'd purchased it last week on clearance. She'd had no idea she'd get to use it so soon. James helped her slip it over her head and she stood, again with his help. Juliet couldn't believe how unsteady she felt. His hand was tight in hers and they took a step for the door but another pain tore through her and she doubled over. "Shit!" James cried, holding her tightly, trying to support her weight.

She could hear the panic in his voice and she wanted to tell him that it would be okay but she couldn't find her voice. When the contraction subsided she stood upright again and said weakly, "Car. Now. Please." James pulled on sneakers without socks and was ready. He'd taken to sleeping in sweats and a t-shirt just in case.

They made it outside and to the driveway where the chilly January air nearly drove them back inside. They'd relocated to Miami so that Juliet could be near Rachel and Julian, but even in December Miami was in the sixties after dark.

Sawyer beeped the hybrid SUV's locks and opened the passenger side door for Juliet. "Wait..." she said, looking down suddenly. He looked down at her feet and saw the puddle of liquid, her bare feet splashed with it. "My water," she said, dazed. "Jesus," he said, looking terrified. It didn't matter how many books you read, when it was happening, the fear of the unknown was almost overpowering.

Carefully, Juliet settled in the seat as James ran around to the drivers side and got in. She barely registered the drive to the hospital, but she did tell him to call her doctor so that he'd be there when they arrived. Juliet tried to tell him once to slow down but another contraction interrupted her demand and he sped on. They were coming too fast for a first baby. It was too soon and too fast, her mind raced.

With an almighty lurch, James screeched to a stop at the emergency room doors and practically carried her inside. After yelling at him for not parking the car correctly, the nurse doing triage called for a wheelchair and delivery room. "You know what you can do with the car?" James asked the nurse, pure loathing in his eyes.

"Fill out these forms," she said, looking bored. An orderly arrived with a wheelchair and Juliet sat down in it, gratefully. She reached for his hand as she was wheeled away and he gripped it tight, walking alongside her. "It's gonna be okay, Juliet. I promise you."

"You can't make a promise like that, James," she said as another contraction hit. She bent over and he thought she might rip his hand off completely.

"_Mother_fuck!" he said when she finally loosened her hold.

They were delivered to a curtained off area and he threw his keys at the orderly. "Please, please go park my car?" The orderly caught them and turned, not answering. Sawyer didn't give him another thought. The guy could have his car, as long as Juliet was okay. A nurse arrived with a hospital gown. When Juliet had finished changing, stopping once for another contraction that had her bent over, the nurse put an IV into the back of her hand, and hooked up all kinds of monitors and contraptions. James sat down in the chair near the bed to fill out the paperwork. His handwriting was shaky at best.

The nurse took it from him when he was done and left the room. He turned back to Juliet. "Do you want me to call Rachel?"

"Not yet," she said. Her hair was starting to turn brown with her sweat and stick to her forehead. "Just promise me something."

"Anything," he said, taking her hand again. "You name it."

"If something happens," she began, unable to look at him.

"No," he said

"If something happens to me - "

He interrupted her. "Stop talking, we're not doing this."

"But I want you to be happy. If something were to happen I want you to go on and be happy."

"I love you and nothing is going to happen. I told you before, I don't ever want to hear you say goodbye again." His voice cracked on the word "goodbye" and she nodded. She understood what she'd done to him by letting go of his hand and choosing death over life. "I know, but James..."

"No. We are _not _havin' this conversation. Do you hear me?"

Defeated by his tone of voice and the onset of another contraction she acquiesced and this time, this time the pain was enough that she thought her body would be ripped in half. James was pretty sure that her scream could be heard in every room of the hospital. The monitors went off in time with her contraction and it created a flurry of activity. Three nurses came in with the ER doctor on their heals and they started giving orders. The doctor consulted Juliet's paperwork and said, "Ok, Dr. and Mrs. Ford, we're gonna have a baby."

Juliet laughed despite the pain. "She's the doc, I'm the Mr.," James growled, smoothing her hair back across her forehead.

"Whoops. You're right, sorry about that."

"We should dress up as Dr. & Mrs. Ford next Halloween," Juliet giggled nonsensically.

"The pain meds are in," a nurse reported, standing up with an empty syringe.

"And she's crowning," the doc reported from between Juliet's legs. "Dad, wanna take a look."

"No, I'm good, thanks," he said, holding Juliet's hand tight.

"Suit yourself. Next contraction, Dr. Ford, go ahead and push, okay?"

The next contraction seized her and she screamed in agony. Even with the pain meds it was excruciating.

"You're doing just fine, Dr. Ford. The baby's upside down but it's too late to try and flip him. I'm going to just reach in and make sure the cord isn't anywhere near the neck."

And before she could even think about what she was doing, Juliet had burst into tears. It was all going wrong. It was too soon and the delivery was too fast - her doctor wasn't even here yet! - and now the baby was upside down and there might be a problem with the cord. "I can't do this," she wept.

"Yes you can, Juliet, of course you can," James told her, tears standing in his eyes too. It was unbearable to see her this way. "You can do this, I know you can!"

The ER doctor looked up at them and announced, "Neck is fine, no cord to be found. Next contraction, Dr. Ford, really push, okay?"

Juliet gasped for air, hating the tears but unable to check them. "Okay," she sobbed, gripping James' hand, feeling the pains come on. She screamed again, long and loud and from deep inside. James couldn't keep his tears from falling any longer and he let them go as the most precious thing in the world to him screamed in agony. "It's okay, it's okay, it's gonna be okay," he chanted more for himself than for Juliet.

"Head's out," the doctor announced. "One more big push, okay? Let's go."

Juliet gritted her teeth and when the next contraction hit she pushed as hard as she could, she pushed so hard that she literally saw stars. They burst before her eyes and then faded to darkness. Warmth and velvety black enveloped her and she gratefully sank into it.

"BP's down," said a nurse.

"Normally I'd let you cut the cord," said the ER doctor, "but we've got bigger things going on."

James had been watching, rapt, as the baby was pulled from Juliet, slimy and purple and almost hideous. They'd cut the cord and handed it off to a nurse before he even noticed that something was wrong. The doctor was barking orders and the nurses and doctor were scurrying around, saying things like, "Push 30 milligrams," and "Get an OR right FUCKING now!"

They were wheeling in a gurney and he watched in horror as they transferred Juliet to it and wheeled her out again. "What's going on? What's wrong with her?"

"Mr. Ford I need you to follow Nurse Charles to the nursery. Your wife needs surgery but as soon as we can we'll come get you."

These were not answers and James followed his first instinct and grabbed the doctor by the front of his scrubs. "You need to do better than that! What's happening?"

"She's losing blood and I need to get her to an OR before she dies."

James felt like he'd been slapped across the face. "If something happens to me," she'd said...

The doctor pulled away from him and left the room. James couldn't have said how long he stood there, alone, not knowing what to do. Eventually, he felt someone touch his arm. "Mr. Ford?"

He turned, dazedly, and saw one of the nurses holding a small white bundled in her arms. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Him?" James took a shuddering breath and repeated, "Him?"

"It's a boy," she nodded solemnly. "Let's go upstairs where it's quiet." She put the baby in a clear plastic bassinet and wheeled it to a bank of elevators. He followed behind, trying to stop crying.

Once up in the nursery, he was given a quite room to himself with a rocking chair and once he was seated, she placed the small white bundle into his arms. "He was early so he's pretty light. 4 pounds, 8 ounces." She said these things as if they made any sense to him. As if he was supposed to understand.

James looked at his son. A pink, wrinkled face was about all he could see. They'd put a tiny cap on his little head and his arms and legs were swallowed up by the expert blanketing. He took a deep, ragged, breath and realized that the beating of his heart had finally steadied.

While his son slept in his arms, James stared down at the tiny face and tried to contemplate raising him alone, as a single dad. The idea was preposterous and tears sprang to his eyes again at just the thought. Time passed slowly or quickly, he couldn't have said which. The baby woke up and the nurse took him away to feed him, suggesting that he get something to eat as well. James ignored her and he waited until they brought the baby back, fed and again asleep.

Another hour passed like this, in the silence of this long wait, until a nurse popped her head in and said, "Mr. Ford? Your wife is out of surgery. I can take you to her room."

James stood up so quickly he worried that perhaps he'd jostled the baby. But no, he was still sleeping and he carried the infant behind the nurse as she led him down the hall to another room. Juliet was lying in one of the beds looking pale. There was an IV and a monitor beeping regularly attached by tubes and wires to her body.

"She should be waking up shortly."

"The surgery. What happened?"

"The doctor will be in in a few minutes to tell you all about it."

James sat down in the ugly hospital chair, still cradling his newborn son, relief washing over him like waves. If something were really wrong they'd have told him by now. But the nurse had said she'd be waking up and that was miraculous as far as he was concerned. He took another shaky breath and spoke his first words to the baby. Softly, "Mom's gonna wake up soon. And everything's gonna be okay." He leaned back in the chair, feeling exhaustion take hold. He noticed for the first time that it was dawn. They'd come in the middle of the night and now it was dawn. He closed his eyes just to rest them, the adrenaline and energy of the night had taken their toll.

As he sat there in the still silence of the quiet room he suddenly heard, "Don't drop the baby."

His eyes flew open and he saw her. Her eyes were open and she was trying to smile, but it was weak. He stood up and moved closer to the bed. "Don't worry, I got 'im."

"Him?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Him. S'a boy," he said, smiling down at her.

She took such comfort in those dimples. Juliet closed her eyes and smiled back, aching to hold her son but knowing she wasn't yet strong enough.

He sat gently down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Dynamite," she said softly, still with her eyes closed, but still smiling faintly. He cradled the baby in one arm and took her hand with his free one. "You had me really scared there for a while."

Juliet opened her eyes and found his. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"I forgive you," he told her, magnanimously. How different the world felt now. Moments ago he hadn't thought he'd ever be able to make a joke again. Now he felt like he was king of the world. Even his heart felt bigger.

The baby sighed in his sleep and Juliet smiled wider this time. It was almost as if she were drawing strength from his nearness. James leaned over and she lifted a hand, touched a downy cheek. "My God," she breathed.

"It's got a certain ring to it, but I'm not sure how his Kindergarten teacher would take it."

She laughed softly. "You're right. We should come up with something else."

"We'll figure it out," he said.

"Yeah, we will."

He knew that in a week or so they'd be up to their ears in diapers and sleep deprivation, but in this perfect moment he held her hand and watched her eyes drift closed again and sat with her knowing that it really would all be okay.


End file.
